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W. D. STEARNS. GOSSAMER.

No. 418,081. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

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WHJVESSES u UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

WVILFRID D. STEARNS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

GOSSAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,081, dated December 24, 1889.

Application filed October 15, 1889. Serial No. 327,071. (No modeld To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILERID D. STEARNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, inthe county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tater-Proof Garments and Dress-Protectors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the'inventio'n, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and lto the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in gossamers or water-proofs for the use of ladies, its object being to provide means to be used in connection therewith,

whereby the skirts and under-garments and.

the lower edges of the dress may beprevented from being soiled by rain, mud, orslush.

The ordinary water-proof or gossamer, while very useful in` protecting the dress or overgarments from being damaged, utterly fails to protect the skirts or under-garments and those portions of t-he dress which come in proximity to or contact with the ground. The splashing incident to the act of walking in rainy weather or when the streets are wet and muddy rapidly soils the under-garments and renders them unfit for wear until washed, cleansed, and ironed, which is a source of 'eX- pense, trouble, and annoyance.

My invention is designed to obviate the above defects and to provide a water-proof which will eectually prevent the under-garments from being soiled, no matter what the condition of the weather or of the streets.

The invention consists in details of construction, which may be fully hereinafter set forth, and then specifically deiined in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a water-proof or gossamer, showing the flap turned inwardly to embrace and protect the under-garments. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of a portion of the waterproof, the iiap being let down to release the garments. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the `iiap projected upwardly to embrace the garother garments. At the junction of the flap and body portion, and placed between them so as to be concealed thereby, is a liexible tube 3, of rubber or other suitable material. This tube extends entirely around the water-proof, and is closed at one end and secured to one of the front edges of the garment, as at 4E. The

, other end of said tube is extended upwardly along the edge of the opposite front portion of the water-proof to near the collar or top thereof, where it is provided with a mouthpiece 5, having a valve for opening and closing the same. 6, 7, and 8 designate three ribs hinged to each other at one end. Two of these ribs 6 and 7 are much longer than the one 8. The ribs 6 and 7 are about six or eight inches long, being about equal in length to the width of the flap 2, although it is obvious that the length may be Varied as occasion may require, or as it may be found most desirable in practice, without departing from the invention. The rib 6 is secured to the interior of the water-.proof at the lower portion and extends vertically upward from the bottom or lower edge thereof. The rib 7 is secured in like manner to the inside of the iiap. As before stated,

the ribs Gand 7, and also the short rib 8, are hinged to each other, which may be done by connecting them together at their meeting ends by strips of textilematerial. Placed between each of the ribs 7 and 8 is a small bellows 9, which is secured, respectively, to said ribs 7 and 8, and is in communication with the iiexible tube, so that when the air is forced into said tube the bellows will be iniated and ribs 7 and S forced apart, and when the IOO The operation is as follows: When the waterproof is put on, the flap 2 will lie in its normal position-that is to say, it will project inward at about a right angle to the body of the waterproof, and just below the lower edge of the dress and under-garments, as seen in Fig. 2. The wearer now places the mouth-piece in her mouth and blows therein, causing the bellows 9 to be inflated through the medium of the flexible tube, thus forcing the ribs 7 and 8 apart and causing the ap to be projected upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, embracing the skirts between it and the inner side of the body l,thereby preventing said garments from being soiled. Vhen the [lap has been forced or turned up, the valve in the mouth-piece is closed and the air confined in the bellows and tube, which will keep the flap in an upwardlyprojected position. Then it is desired to allow the liap to drop down and release the garments, the valve in the mouth-piece is opened i and the confined air permitted to escape, when K the bellows will collapse and ribs 7 and S come together and the flap drop down. iThe flap or extension is made separate from the body of the water-proof, and may be-applied thereto in any manner desired. From this it will be seen that the Hap and the devices by which it is operated can be applied to any water-proof, it simply being necessary to sew my flap thereto and affix the devices, which will be apparent to any one.

The numerals l0 l0 designate two rubber flaps or strips secured to the flexible tube at the front of the water-proof at the lower portion thereof. One of these flaps is provided -lower edge, the ilexible tube extending' around the body of the water-proof and upwardly in front to near the top thereof, and a series of bellows located at -suitable intervals around the lower edge of the water-proof, communieating with said tube and connected to said flap by means substantially as set forth, so as to raise and lower the same, substantially as described.

2.y The combination, with a water-proof or gossamer, of the flap 2, the tube 3, having mouth-piece 5, the ribs 6, 7, and 8, hinged'together at one end, and the bellows 9, secured to the ribs 7 and 8,' substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the water-proof or gossamer, of the flap 2, the flexible tube 3,

bellows 9, ribs 6, 7, and 8, and the strips 10, provided with fastening devices and secured to said tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILFRID D. STEARNS.

Vitnesses:

A. L. MoRsELL, JNo. ENDERs, Jr. 

